Javier Garat at the Blue Food for a Sustainable Future EP Event, EU PArliamient

European Fishing Sector Urges EC to Develop an EU Action Plan for Blue Foods

EUROPEAN UNION
Tuesday, September 09, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

The initiative seeks to ensure food security, protect oceans, reduce import dependency—which currently accounts for more than 70% of consumption—and encourage investment in responsible fishing.

Madrid, Spain—The European fishing sector, represented by Europêche, an organization of which Cepesca is a part, along with the organizations EBCD ¹, AIPCE - CEP ² , EAPO ³ and FEAP ⁴, has made an urgent appeal to the European Commission (EC) to push for the development of an EU Action Plan for Blue Foods, backed by institutional and financial support. The sector requests that this plan serve as a strategic axis to strengthen food security and the strategic autonomy of the Union, protect the health of the oceans, contribute to the health and well-being of Europeans through better nutrition, generate new opportunities for sustainable economic growth and innovation in the fishing and aquaculture sectors, and reinforce coherence among various European policies.

The sector reiterated this request at the event "Blue Foods for a Sustainable Future," held on Wednesday at the European Parliament, organized by the European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD) and hosted by the Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Fisheries, Carmen Crespo Díaz.

The president of Europêche and secretary-general of Cepesca, Javier Garat, spoke at the event as a rapporteur for the opinion "Civil Society's Vision for a European Oceans Pact," from the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). He reported that in the opinion, this body "urges the European Commission to develop an EU Action Plan for Blue Foods before 2026, in order to integrate them into food and consumption policies and strategies. This plan," he added, "should be considered a key component of the Vision for the Future of Agriculture and Food, while also promoting healthy, low-environmental and carbon footprint diets in Europe."

During the meeting, the sector recalled that the EU currently imports more than 70% of the seafood it consumes, which makes it dependent on international market fluctuations and geopolitical risks. For this reason, it points out that investing in its own sustainable fishing production and in responsible aquaculture is presented as a priority strategy to strengthen the strategic autonomy of the EU.

Furthermore, blue foods provide essential nutrients and high-quality proteins, with a smaller environmental footprint than other sources of animal protein, making them a fundamental element of the sustainable diet promoted by the FAO and the EAT-Lancet report.

Therefore, the fishing sector insists that the EU must take this opportunity to lead the global transformation of blue food systems, guaranteeing funding and support for innovation, and consolidating its role in the international governance of the oceans. It also demands that Brussels ensure the European Blue Foods Platform has institutional and financial support and becomes a driver for research, innovation, and new investments that guarantee the competitiveness of European fishermen, aquaculturists, and processors.

The "Blue Foods for a Sustainable Future" event is part of the European debate on the future of oceans and food, and responds to the need to align community policies with global sustainability initiatives, while fostering research, innovation, and sustainable investment in aquatic food systems, sustainable and responsible fishing, and aquaculture.

According to Tim Heddema, Vice-President of Europêche, "Europe needs to act with determination to ensure that blue foods—fish, seafood, and other aquatic products—are part of the transition toward a healthier, more sustainable, and resilient food system. The creation of a European Blue Foods Platform, within the framework of the action plan," Heddema added, "is key to coordinating efforts, supporting fishermen and aquaculturists, and driving innovation that will allow us to respond to the challenges of the future."

1 Euopean Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD)

2 European Fish Processor Association – European Federation of National Organisations of Importers

and Exporters of Fish (AIPCE – CEP)

3 European Association of Fish Producers Organisations (EAPO)

4 Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP)

editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media

Print